Youth Congress defends shirtless protest with Gandhi imagery 'AI Summit'

A day after members of the Indian Youth Congress staged a shirtless protest during the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, the organisation shared a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi on social media to defend its dramatic demonstration.

On Friday, Youth Congress members carried out a protest inside Bharat Mandapam during the high-profile India AI Impact Summit, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government over alleged “unemployment, inflation and the reported India-US trade deal”.

The protest triggered



strong reactions from leaders of the BJP-led NDA, who accused the Congress party of attempting to “tarnish” the country’s image at an international event attended by global delegates.

Amid the backlash, the Youth Congress posted on X, seeking to justify its actions.

In the post, it wrote, “Hum Gandhiji ke Vanshaj hai, Shirtless hi sahi (We are descendants of Gandhiji, even if we are shirtless).”

The message was accompanied by a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi bearing the tag ‘Shirtless Congressi’.